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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: coach · cue · swing · bat · bay · bass · club · bore

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. cue — a signal
  4. cue — for pool
  5. bore — to drill
  6. club — for dancing
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. swing — in golf
  10. club — a group
  11. swing — to play on
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bass — the fish
  14. club — for golf
  15. bass — low music
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. swing — music
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bat — the animal

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com